"Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops, like bishops, and your religious act like religious." - Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, 1972

Thursday, June 2, 2016

IN THE MEDIA. JUNE 1, 2016. DEACON MARTINEZ STANDS UP FOR "THE CHURCH"

KUAM (Jun 1, 2016): Deacon says church's system is flawed

While the Archdiocese of Agana has provided limited information on how they're moving forward with investigating allegations against Archbishop Anthony Apuron, one man who is very familiar with the church's sex abuse policy says the system is flawed. Deacon Steve Martinez was a former sexual abuse response coordinator for the archdiocese. That is, until he was dismissed from his duties back in October 2014 after speaking up about a conflict of interest in church policies. CONTINUED

Guam - With the lack of action taken by the Archdiocese of Agana following allegations of sexual abuse, the former sex abuse response coordinator Deacon Steve Martinez is speaking out about the church’s flawed policy, especially since Archbishop Anthony Apuron is now "an accused serial sexual predator." CONTINUED

PACIFIC DAILY NEWS (Jun 1, 2016): Deacon: Flawed, weak Church policy on abuses
The former coordinator of a group in the local Catholic Church charged with reviewing sexual abuse allegations said Wednesday that the church’s sexual abuse policy is “weak,” “flawed” and a “failed” one that needs to be changed. CONTINUED (Alternative video site)

THE GUAM DAILY POST (Jun 1, 2016): Deacon: Archbishop maintained, now 'protected' by broken sex abuse policy
Deacon Steve Martinez, a former sexual abuse response coordinator with the Archdiocese of Agaña, held a press conference on Wednesday, June 1, at Guam Law Library, to discuss his concerns that Archbishop Anthony Apuron kept in place a sex abuse policy that is no longer in favor among other archdiocese in order to protect himself. VIDEO

THE GUAM DAILY POST (Jun 1, 2016): Deacon speaks out on 'flawed' sexual misconduct policy
For the first time since Roy Quintanilla publicly accused Archbishop Anthony Apuron of molesting him as a child 40 years ago, a member of the Catholic clergy has criticized the archbishop for purposely implementing weak sexual misconduct policies in order to protect himself and his inner circle. Moreover, these policies may have allowed additional cases of sexual abuse by different perpetrators, according to Deacon Steve Martinez. CONTINUEDTHE GUAM DAILY POST (Jun 1, 2016) EDITORIAL: Find the truth about sex abuse allegations
As a secular newspaper, it is not our place to tell any church how to conduct itself. But the recent allegations of sexual misconduct by the head of Guam’s Catholic Church are disturbing. If true, they are allegations of criminal behavior of a most despicable nature. In one sense, it is unfortunate that the accusations are being made so long after the abuse is alleged to have taken place, since the statutes of limitations have long since expired, preventing the accused from being held accountable – or shown to be innocent of the allegations – in a court of law. CONTINUED